The Costa Rican Railway Institute (Incofer) announced the temporary suspension of train service in the Greater Metropolitan Area in order to carry out improvement works on several railway bridges and a tunnel. According to the information released, the Cartago–San José route will be fully suspended from March 25 to April 10, all routes will be halted during Holy Week (March 30 to April 3), and the connection between the Pacífico and Atlántico stations will be suspended from April 6 to 10.

Bridge and Tunnel Works: Why They Are Being Carried Out

During the suspension period, eight railway bridges located at various points across the Greater Metropolitan Area will be worked on, as well as a tunnel in the canton of Goicoechea. Incofer indicated that these interventions are necessary because part of the infrastructure presents an imminent risk, making it essential to reinforce it in order to guarantee the safety of users and the continuity of the service in the medium and long term.

Financing and Emergency Program

The resources to carry out these works come from the Emergency Program for the Comprehensive and Resilient Reconstruction of Infrastructure (Proeri), a financing mechanism designed to address critical points in the railway transport network and other public infrastructures. This program makes it possible to prioritize urgent interventions, such as the rehabilitation of railway bridges and tunnels, with the aim of reducing the vulnerability of the network and improving the system’s resilience against future events.

Recommendations for Users

During the period without rail service, those who normally use the train to travel between Cartago, San José, and other points in the Greater Metropolitan Area will need to use alternatives such as buses, shared transport, or private vehicles. Incofer keeps its official information channels available to the public, including its institutional website and social media, where details on the progress of the works and the exact date of resumption of each route will be updated as the defined deadlines approach.

Official Sources

• Costa Rican Railway Institute (Incofer): institutional information, route details, fares, and contact channels available on the official website.
• Information on the temporary suspension of train service and the railway bridge works, released by Incofer through national media outlets such as CRHoy.